Packing anchor



Oct. 11, 1932.

Filed March 21, 1950 J. D. NIXON PACKING ANCHOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Oct. 11, 1932.

J. D. NIXON PACKING ANCHOR Filed March 21,, 1930 IIIIJIIIINIIIMHI 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 (foam/114 Patented Oct. 11, 1932 JEimY :0. NIXON, or HOUSTON, TEXAS, ASSIGNOR 'ro TEXAS IEo WOEXS SAL S core rolmrromornousron, TEXAS, A CORPORATION OF TEXAS PACKING ANCHOR Application filed March 21, 1930. Serial in). 437,703.

This inventionrelates to new and useful improvements in a packer anchor.

One object of the invention is to provlde novel means whereby a packer may be anchored to the upper end of a pipe or screen,

set in a well bore, or to the liner to which said screen is attached, for the purpose of forming a seal, or fluid tight-joint, between said screen, or liner, and the casing in the well.

In oil well drilling operations when a producing stratum has been reached it is customary to set a well screen in the well opposite said stratum, either alone or attached to the lower end of the liner and then to set a packer between the upper end of the screen, or liner and the well casing for well known purposes. After the screen is set in the bore but before the packer is set it is usually necessary to wash the well, that is, to force clean water down through the setting string, used to lower the screen, and through said screen and up around the screen to carry out the mud, shale and clogging materials that obstruct the flow of oil into the screen. After the well is washed the packer is then set and the well thus completed. It is customary to attach the packer and packer setting tool to the upper end of the screen, or liner, and

lower the'same, with the packer collapsed, into the well and then wash the well, as above stated, before expanding, or setting, the packer. When done in this manner, however, the material washed from 'thewell is,

the same away to such an extent that the packer, when set, will not form a tight joint 4, this invention to provide novel means whereby a packer may be anchored to the screen, or liner, after thescreen has been set and washed, and then expanded into set, or sealing, position.

The inventlon however is alsocapable of to the upper end of a screen, or liner in a well, with the packer collapsed, and

Figures 4, 5 and 6 showviews similar to those Shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3 but showing the packer expanded. a

Referring now more particularly to. the

drawings, wherein, like numeralsv of reference designate similar parts in' each of the figures the numeral 1 designates a screen, or a liner, to the lower end of-whicha screen is attached, as set in a well. Attachedtothe upper end of this screen, or liner, there is an outside collar 2, preferably having external, vertical wings, or'ribs 3, to hold it centered in theewell casing 4:. A There is a nipple 5, forminga packer anchor, whose lower end is threaded into said collar 2 and whose upper end has the external, left hand, threads 6. This nipple has the external ratchetteeth 7, preferably spiralled therearound.

A setting string of pipe may be connected to the upper end of said nipple .5 and the screen lowered and set in a completed well and washing water then forced down 7 through the screen and back uparound the with the casing, and .at other times the' offending material being. washed out will screen and string to the ground surface and the screen and well thus washed and freed of clogging material that would otherwise interfere withthe flow of oil from the oil bearing strata and into said screen; Thesetting string may be then turned to'the right and thus unscrewed from the upperend of the nipple 5 and withdrawn leaving the screen and anchoring nipple in the bore.

The packer and packer setting tool-may then be lowered and connectedas willbe hereinafter explained. 1

purpose of connecting The numeral 8 designates astem, or string of pipe, through which the packer apparatus is lowered. and which extends up to the ground surface. A coupling 9 is screwed ontothe lower end of this string and whose lower end carries an external-sealing r ng 10, preferably. of soft metal. Screwed into the lower end of the coupling 9 there is a ple being beveled oil, as at 12.

The numeral 13. designates'a tubular man-1 drel whose upper end is attached to thelower end of the nipple 11 and Whose lower end is flared as at 14 and externally threaded.

On the mandrel 13 there is aslidable sleeve 15 having the inside downwardly flared seat 16 in which there is locatedan annular expansibledog' 17. which surrounds the inan- -drel 13/ The lower end of the sleeve is reduced forming bushing 18. The inside contour of the bushing 18 is similar to the conreceivebushing 18. The lower endflotthis 'packersupport 19 has, an'annular seat20 thereon and beneath-this seat sai'dpacker support is threaded-into a coupling '21 by means ofwh'ich' the tubular housing 22 beneath is connected to saidpacker support.

.20. -This packing element may be. formed of IL1bbB1,.OI of'fabric, as burlap or the.like,-

or any other suitable expansible material.

support 19 and seated on the upper end .of

the packerf23 thereis a collar 24. whose upper i 5 end has verticalslots as 25 forming the yield-- able dogs 26 integral therewith. The upper l end of the packer support has externalleft .hand buttress threads 27 and the dogs 26, are fcorrespondingly internally threaded so as to ;mesh with said threads 27.1 I i a Threaded onto the collar 24 bylright hand I threads and upstanding therefrom thereis an elongated tubular setting nipple 28 whoseupper end is outwardlyflared forming seat' 29 for the purpose to bel hereinafter ex- .plainedm v 1 .An intermediate portion of 'the mandrel j is provided with upwardly pitched buttress threads" 30-,engageable with the dog-17f :as hereinafter explained. The housing 22,

whas an internal upwardly flared seat 31 on i which there ismountediam annular expansible iii.

. housing has an internal" downwardly flared:

seat 33 in. which is, located an upwardly ta-' zdog '32 which, surrounds. the 'nipplej'5 and ywhicli has internal ratchet-teeth engageable" with the teeth 7 and beneath the seat 31, said pering annular packing sleevel3kpreferably formed-o flead or other softl netal.

There is a tubular expander nipple reducing nipple 11, the lower endof said nipwhose upper end is fitted within the lower end of the housing 22in abutting relation with" the packer sleeve 34z'and is temporarily 'secured'to saidhousing by means of a frangible pin as 36. V

When the well has been washed as hereinabove explained the packing apparatus is assembled and connected together as shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3 with the bushing 18 screwed into the upper-end of the packer rsupport 19 and also threaded-onto the flared portion 14 of the mandrel 13 and as thus assembled is let down into the well. The an- -choringnipple.5 being held centered in the movement of said "nipple 35 being now stopped,'the"weight of the apparatus above will shear the pin 36 and as'the housing 22 moves on downward the sealing ring '34: will be expanded into the position shown in Figure 6 and into engagement with teeth 7 thus forming a fluid tight seal The range of downward movement of the housing22 will be limited bythe external annular shoulder 37 on said expander nipple 35.

I There is a blank' tubular nipple 37 Within Y the upper end of the housing22 and inter- There isa sleeve like packing element'23, around the support 19 and resting on the seat posed between thelower end of the coupling 21 and the annular dog 32 beneath, and as the apparatusmoves downwardly as above explained, this nipple 37 will force the dog 32 J V p downwardly and thisdog by engaging with" Fitted over'the upper end ofthe packer '14 thus'unscrewed from the bushing 18 and when so unscrewed will pass below said bushing as shown in Figure 4 and said mandrel .13ywill move downwardly'through the sleeve 15 and through the dogs 17 therein and-the .annularsealing ring 10 on the coupling 9 will seat, against and form a close fitting joint with the seat 29. The weight now upon "the setting nipple 28 will force the collar 24' downwardly and expand the packing ele- 11181111 23 outagainst the casing 4' or other wall of the bore and form a watertight joint therewith and thereupon the dogs 26. will engage with: the'teeth 27 to hold theljpacker expanded.

When thepacker is set the stringmay'be i pulled upwardly carrying the mandrel 13 with it and as said mandrel movesupwardly the teeth-30 will engage with the dog 17 andcarry the sleeve 15 along upwardly with the mandrel. The bushing '18 is slitted, so that it may contract and disengage itself from the threads of the tubular packer supp0rt '19 and-the setting tool may then be wi hdrawn leaving the packer securely held in expanded position by the collar 24 and the dogs 26 thereof.

The invention comprehends not only the apparatus hereinabove described but also the process disclosed.

The drawings and description disclose what is now considered to be a preferred form of the invention by way of illustration only while the broad principle of the invention will be defined by the appended claims.

What I claim is 1. The combination with a pipe adapted to be set in a well bore and having a screening surface, of a tubular anchor at the upper end thereof, a packing device including an expansible packer, said anchor and the lower end of said packing device being shaped to be telescoped upon their relative longitudinal movement in the bore, an annular seal between said telescoping parts, abutments confining said seal and eflective to expand the same, to form a substantially fluid tight joint between said telescoped parts, when said parts are fully telescoped together.

2. The combination with a pipe adapted to be set in a well bore and having a screen ing surface, of a tubular anchor at the upper end thereof, a packing device including an expansible packer, said anchor and the lower end of said packing device being shaped to telescope, an annular seal between said telescoping parts, abutments confining said seal and effective to expand the same, to form a substantially fluid tight joint between said telescoped parts, when said parts are fully telescoped together, and means for interlocking said telescoped parts against separation.

3. The combination with a pipe adapted to be set in a well bore and having a screening surface, of a tubular anchor at the upper end thereof, a packing device including an expansible packer, said anchor and thelower end of said packing device being shaped to telescope, an annular seal between said telescoping parts, abutments confining said seal and effective to expand the same, to form a substantially fluid tight joint between said telescoped parts, when said parts are fully telescoped together, means for interlocking said telescoped parts against separation and other means for expanding said expansible packer to form a seal between said pipe and the walls of the well bore.

7 4. The combination with a pipe adapted to be set in a well bore, of a tubular anchor at the upper end thereof, a packing device including an exp ansible packer, said anchor and the lower end of said packing device being shaped to telescope, an annular seal between said telescoping parts, abutments confining said seal and effective to expand the same, to form a substantially fluid tight joint between said telescoped parts, when said parts are fully telescoped together, and means for interlocking said telescoped parts against separation.

5. The combination with a pipe adapted to be set in a well bore, of a tubular anchor at the upper end thereof, a packing device including an expansible packer, said anchor and the lower end of said packing device being shaped to telescope, an annular seal between said telescoping parts, abutments confining said seal and elfective to expand the same, to form a substantially fluid tight joint between said telescoped parts, when said parts are fully telescoped together, means for interlocking said telescoped parts against separation and other means for expanding said expansible packer to form a seal between said pipe and the walls of the bore.

I 6. A joint for connecting sections of tubing in a well including tubular parts shaped to be telescoped upon their relative longitudinal movement an annular seal between said telescoping parts, abutments confining said seal and adapted to expand the same to form I a substantially fluid tight joint between said telescoped parts upon the relative longitudinal movement of said parts in one direction, said abutments limiting said movement in said direct-ion and means for interlocking said telescoped parts against separation and against relative movement in the other direction and in position tomaintain said fluid tight joint. 7

7. A joint for connecting sections of tubing in a well comprisin tubular parts shaped to be telescoped upon their relative longitudinal L movement, an annular seal carried by one of said telescoping parts, abutments on said telescoping parts, arranged to confine said seal to form a fluid tight joint between said parts upon the relative longitudinal movementof said parts in one direction, said abutments limiting said'movement in said direction and means for interlocking said telescoping parts against separation and in position to maintain said joint fluid tight, said interlocking means preventing relative movement of Sitlfl telescoping parts in the other direction.

name to this specification. 7

c JEDDY D. NIXON. 

